Tough to get over this one
by TexasGril
Summary: Gail and Andy had been on patrol for quite a bit when they decided they were going to stop and get something to eat. Being as it was late in the evening, they knew they had very limited choices. Gail wanted noodles but really all Andy wanted was a nice big cup of coffee. One shot. Caution while reading this one.


**Just another one-shot. After 3.13 and after UC.**

**This is a tough one.**

**This Chapter is Rated M to be safe.**

**I do not own Rookie Blue, but if I did…..**

Gail and Andy had been on patrol for quite a bit when they decided they were going to stop and get something to eat. Being as it was late in the evening, they knew they had very limited choices. Gail wanted noodles but really all Andy wanted was a nice big cup of coffee. They both settled on a place not far from their last call. Gail radioed in that they would be on break.

Gail and Andy walked in and stood at the counter waiting for the cashier to come forward to take their order. The cashier and the cook were both in the kitchen talking to someone. Andy felt a tug on her pants and noticed a four-year-old little girl smiling at her. Andy was about to bend down and talk to the little girl when Gail yelled gun, just as shots rang out in the restaurant.

Andy dove for cover and hit the panic button on her radio knowing it would broadcast her squad number and go to open mic. All Andy could hear was screams from the other patrons and automatic gunfire. Andy tried to scream their location over all the noise. She had no idea if anyone heard. Andy saw people trying to run out the side door, kids hiding under tables. She looked around to see where Gail was as she tried to shield herself from the bullets flying everywhere. Andy watched as the tiles on the walls above her head were breaking apart as the bullets hit them. She watched as the windows burst into pieces and flew everywhere. Gail and Andy tried to fire back but getting a shot at the guy through the kitchen window was tough as the bullets rained down on them. They saw the guy with the red shirt just spraying the bullets everywhere. Andy and Gail talked without talking and made a plan. Andy continued to take shots to distract the guy from Gail, as she got closer. Neither of them knew how many gunman there were but all they could hope for is that the one firing right now would run out of bullets.

* * *

Chris was the first on the scene, he had only been a block away. He had heard the dispatch call, officer in distress and knew it was 1510, that was Andy and Gail. When he pulled up the front windows of the restaurant were shattering as bullets were flying everywhere. Chris noticed a person on the ground outside the door and people streaming out the side of the restaurant. Chris radioed shots fired at his location, back up needed and request for several ambulances. Chris tried to access the situation and heard automatic gunfire but would hear everyone once in a while the single shots going off. He noticed more patrol cars pulling up as everything went quiet.

Chris, Oliver, Nick and Noelle gathered behind Chris's car and came up with a tactical plan. They slowly and cautiously entered the restaurant. When they entered the front door, they found a small child laying face down. Noelle went to check the pulse, she radioed in, "One down front of store." Nick and Chris went around the counter and found Gail sitting on the ground holding a towel to her thigh; she raised her gun to meet them. Nick raised his hands, "you ok?"

Gail looked around, "Gunman was in the kitchen. Dark hair, male, 20 to 25 years of age, wearing a red t-shirt I think one of us winged him. I am OK. Where is Andy?"

Nick looked around, "Not sure hold tight."

Oliver and Chris were making their way to the kitchen. They rounded the corner and found two employees down. Chris bent down to check pulses and shook his head. Chris radioed in, "two down outside of kitchen." They kept moving.

* * *

Nick was moving through the dinning area. He came across two kids hiding under the table quietly crying. He motioned for them to head out the side door where Noelle was now standing. The kids ran to her and she quickly got them out of the building. Nick kept moving.

Chris and Oliver rounded the corner into the kitchen and found an employee sitting up against the walk in freezer, bleeding from his shoulder. Oliver went to check his pulse when the employee's eyes flew open. Oliver almost jumped out of his skin. "The rest of them are in the freezer. He tied them up in there. He wanted it to be quiet so no one in the store noticed he was robbing us." Oliver nodded and noticed Chris walking over to the body on the ground next to the open kitchen window to the front of the restaurant. Chris called in his radio, "subject down." Chris kicked the gun away from the subject and continued to look around.

Oliver turned to the employee, "How many gunman?"

"One."

* * *

As Nick continued to the back of the store he noticed a blood trail start and saw it led to the bathroom. He heard Chris's call that the subject was down. Nick slowly opened the bathroom door. "Toronto PD, anyone in here?"

Nick heard Andy call out. "Three of us in here."

Andy came out of the last stall with two teenager girls, who were crying, one bleeding from her arm. Andy led them to the door where Nick was standing. Nick motioned them to go towards Noelle, who helped them out of the building.

Nick turned to Andy, "How many gunman?"

"I think only one. It was hard to tell."

Nick quickly looked over Andy, "Injured?"

"No. Where is Gail?"

Nick's radio crackled alive, "Building secure."

Nick grabbed Andy's hand and walked her out the side door to Noelle. "She says she is not injured." Nick let Andy go and turned back into the building to go get Gail.

Noelle led Andy to her squad car and sat her down. "Don't move, ok?"

Andy started shaking, "Ok."

Dov came up to Andy and handed her a bottle of water. 'Here I want you to drink this." Dov started rubbing Andy's back as she bent over trying to breath.

* * *

Traci, Luke and Sam arrived at the scene at the same time. The call out was officer involved shooting with several bodies. All three headed over to Noelle, who they were told was on scene commander.

'What have we got Noelle?" Sam said looking around. He saw a body bag by the front door, glass windows missing with lots and lots of blood everywhere. Traci and Luke were looking around and surveying the damage.

Noelle took a deep breath, "From what we got, Gail and Andy came in for a bite to eat. Robbery was already in progress. From what the manager said, before he went to the hospital, that the robber was trying to get the manager to open the safe without alerting everyone in the building. When Gail and Andy walked in he got spooked. Gail said she saw the gun come up and they dove for cover. One or both of them was able to take him out but since they were not sure how many of them there were, they tried to hide until help arrived. Gunman took a GSW center mass twice. He is dead. The gunman according to the manager killed two employees that were in the kitchen before he shoved the rest of them in the freezer. We have one customer outside the building dead and one small child about age four that was hit by the front cashier. Andy is in my patrol car, shaken but OK. Gail is on her way to the hospital. GSW to the right thigh."

Traci was writing as fast as Noelle was talking and then turned to Luke and Sam. "OK, I will take the customers, if you Luke, will take the employees and Andy. Sam will you go to the hospital and get statements from the injured."

Luke nodded and headed towards Andy.

Sam nodded, "No problem, I am just going to check on Andy and then head over there." He knew being Andy's boyfriend he could not take her statement. He also knew that he could not really talk to her that much until her statement was done.

Luke and Sam walked up to the patrol car and Sam was relieved she really was ok. "Hey, you ok?"

Andy shook her head yes.

"I will see you back at the barn OK?"

Andy shook her head yes.

* * *

By the end of the day the pieces of what happened fell together. Between eyewitness statements, victim statements and video footage in the restaurant the case was all but closed.

Sam was sitting in his office when Noelle and Andy entered the bullpen. Sam watched as Noelle motion for her to head towards the locker room. Noelle then headed towards Sam's office.

'Hey Sam, you got a minute?"

"Yeah, how is she doing?"

"She was doing OK at the scene, was doing OK at the hospital but lost it in the car ride over here. The four year old little girl was talking to Andy when it all went down."

"Oh."

Sam started packing up. "I'll take her home."

"I was hoping you would say that. Oh, by the way, Gail is going to be good. Bullet went clean through. Nick is with her tonight."

"Thanks Noelle. See you tomorrow."

* * *

Sam packed up and waited for Andy by the locker room. Andy finally ventured out to Sam. Sam grabbed her in a hug then led her out of the station.

The drive home was silent. Sam finally spoke, "I talked to Noelle, Gail is doing great. Nick is with her tonight. Might want to call him in the morning or even tonight to see how they are doing."

Andy whispered, "OK."

Sam parked in the driveway and turned to Andy.

"How are you holding up?"

"Sam, how do you get over it? I mean this is going to be tough to get over. All because Gail and I were hungry the robbery went south and a little four-year-old little girl who just came up to say Hi to me is dead. How do you get past it? How do you live with yourself for causing something like this." Andy was now weeping uncontrollable.

Sam embraced her, "It is tough to get over. But you didn't cause this. You didn't pull the trigger. You saved so many other people by being there. He had already killed two employees and had tied up the rest in the freezer. Without you guys, who knows what else he could have done. OK?"

Andy untangled herself from Sam, "It can't be that easy." With that she jumped out of the truck and headed for the front door.

Sam got out and followed her. He got the door open before he grabbed her again.

"I didn't say it would be easy. I just said there is a positive side to all this. Remember life is messy. It sometimes sucks and no matter what you do, bad things happen. Because there are bad people out there and that is why we have a job. Bad people do horrible things to good people."

Andy was crying harder now.

Sam started to lead her to the bathroom. "Why don't you get into the shower, take a moment to yourself and I will fix us some dinner. It's going to be a long night and I want you to at least have a full stomach before we try to sleep. OK?"

"Can I call Nick first?"

"Sure. Andy you realize you don't have to ask for my permission on that. Call him. I think he would love to hear from you too." Sam knew that Nick and Andy were not only good partners but best friends. Nick ranked up there with Traci in Andy's book. There were times when Nick could get Andy to see reason when Sam could not. At first Sam was irritated until he realized Nick was on his side. Nick had pointed it out one day after parade. Andy was in a mood and Nick knew why. Nick pulled him a side and told him, "I am on your side dude. If its something you need to know, I will tell you. But sometimes she wants a second opinion and from some who is not in love with her." After that, Nick and Sam saw eye to eye when it came to Andy.

Andy went into the bedroom and called Nick. Forty-five minutes later she came out showered and calmer. Sam smiled.

"Nick says Gail is doing great and will be out in a day or two. She will have to ride the desk for a week or two after that but she is good."

"I am glad to hear. Will have to make them something for when they come home so they don't have to cook." Andy nodded in agreement as she went to sit at the table.

Sam smiled and heard his phone ding that he had a message. Sam placed Andy's plate on the table and went to his phone.

The message was from Nick. _She says this is a tough one to get over but understands it's not her fault. She just needed to hear it twice. She is worried about nightmares keeping you up. _

Sam texted back _Thanks, need anything call us._

Sam smiled. That was his Andy, worried about others and not what it would do to her. They would get through this, one day at a time. Sam grabbed his plate and sat down next to her and talked about the rest of the week's plans and a possible weekend vacation.

Andy smiled at the vacation idea.

Score one for Sam.


End file.
